Cebu gets DILG nod for sea ambulances

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has issued clearance for the Cebu Provincial Government to purchase two sea ambulances worth about P50 million.

The emergency vessels will be deployed separately, with one assigned to the Camotes Island group and the other to Bantayan, according to Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head retired Col. Dennis Pastor.

“We’re still on the process of procurement. Right now, we have received from the DILG authorizing the governor to procure the said sea ambulance,” Pastor said.

“As planned, we will be get (sic) two – one will be deployed in the Island of Camotes and one for Bantayan,” he added.

Provincial officials are aiming to complete the acquisition within 2026, with Pastor saying the province expects to have the vessels purchased before the year ends.

The procurement is already underway, according to Provincial Administrator Atty. Ace Durano.

“The bidding is ongoing. Proseso man gud na siya, na post-bid na ni siya, na publish so we’re just waiting for the compliance of the required periods,” Durano said.

Durano said the province remains on track despite the required steps in the government procurement process.

“Katong giingon nga within the year, mao gud na ang target nato. So sa procurement process is really running already,” he said.

Pastor said the province intends to source the vessels from a local supplier to avoid possible complications that could delay the acquisition.

The two sea ambulances are intended to provide island communities with dedicated maritime emergency response capability, particularly in areas where transport to mainland Cebu may be difficult during medical emergencies.

Pastor said operating the vessels would also require additional personnel for the PDRRMO, including a driver or operator who would handle the boat.

The proposed acquisition comes after the provincial government faced questions over its public presentation of a sea ambulance before an actual purchase had been completed.

During a budget deliberation in November 2025, provincial officials clarified that a sea ambulance featured in Capitol social media posts had not been purchased by the province but had instead been temporarily lent by a supplier for testing.

PDRRMO officials described the vessel as a prototype or test unit, while Provincial Budget Officer Danilo Rodas said there was no contract between the province and the supplier, Dynacast, for the unit.

An administrative complaint was also filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas by Byron Garcia, brother of former governor Gwendolyn Garcia, alleging violations of laws governing public officials and local governments.

Filed on Dec. 1, 2025, the complaint stemmed from allegations that Governor Pamela Baricuatro had publicly claimed that the provincial government had already purchased two sea ambulances.

Garcia’s complaint cited social media posts by the governor and the provincial government that allegedly gave the impression that the province had already acquired and owned a sea ambulance.

Provincial officials, however, said the vessel shown in the posts had merely been borrowed for a test run while the proposed procurement was still awaiting the necessary government approvals. — (FREEMAN)